The Maharashtra government has announced the waiver of the ₹500 stamp duty required for affidavits submitted to government offices. This decision, made by Maharashtra’s Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, will provide relief to lakhs of students and common citizens in the state. Bawankule has ordered immediate implementation of the decision.

The government has announced that they are doing away with the requirement to pay stamp duty on affidavits needed for official purposes. These include certificates like caste verification, income, residence, non-criminal, and nationality certificates.

In the future, you’ll be able to get official certificates like caste, income, and residence certificates by simply writing a self-attested application on a plain piece of paper and submitting it to the tehsil office. This means that students and parents will save a significant amount of money, potentially ₹3,000 to ₹4,000, especially after the 10th and 12th board exams when these documents are often required.

Students will save ₹3,000 to ₹4,000

The 10th and 12th board exams are happening now, and when the results are out, students and parents usually have to scramble to get all the necessary certificates. This process used to be very expensive, costing parents around ₹3,000 to ₹4,000. But soon, it will be much easier and cheaper because all you’ll need is a self-attested application on a plain piece of paper, with no stamp duty. This will save families a lot of money. These certificates are important for many things, not just for school, but also for things like submitting affidavits. Bawankule says this will be a big help for millions of people in the state.

He also mentioned that he has given instructions for the immediate implementation of this decision on behalf of the Revenue Department.